ILLUSTRATION BY ADAM HAYES
Ah, LEGO. The colorful, stackable little bricks with unlimited potential are a ubiquitous part of pretty much every kid’s childhood, with schools and even retirement homes finding creative uses for these boundary-crossing building blocks. LEGO isn’t so much a toy as it is a cultural touchstone, but most kids move on from that phase as they get older. They don’t, say, grow up to become a reality TV show contestant on the fourth season of LEGO Masters on Fox.
Paul Wellington, clearly, was not like most kids. He began his foray into the wonderful world of LEGO at the tender age of 4. “It was a city-themed set, which led to my love of building cities,” he says.
Like many things in life, LEGO building is more fun with a partner, and Wellington was thrilled to take his younger sister under his wing. “Nealita and I are nine years apart, and I got her involved in LEGO as soon as she could hold a brick,” he says. “When she was around 3, I left her on my bed next to a tub full of LEGO and walked downstairs for a moment, then I heard a crashing sound followed by crying. My sister had fallen into the tub of LEGO, and that’s where our bond truly began.”
The duo continued building throughout childhood, with Wellington preferring to build in “microscale” by using 10-by-10-inch baseplates. This approach led him to create his own “baby scale” style. “A handful of current and past LEGO sets include baby figures, which are roughly half the size of typical minifigures,” he says. “Currently I’m building a baby scale modular city, and I’m enjoying all the details I’m able to create.”
With his own “voice” as a builder and a growing presence on Instagram, Wellington’s creations caught the eye of the LEGO Masters team. “A show representative has actually approached me every season,” he says, but he never applied because his job with Milwaukee Public Library didn’t allow him to take time off to compete. That changed after moving here in May 2022 to become social media specialist at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library. When Wellington was approached by the show again, his new position offered the flexibility to compete at long last, so he applied with Nealita and they were selected for Season 4.
Wellington, 33, is quick to point out that becoming a LEGO Master is more than just building awe-inspiring structures. “A lot of people don’t realize LEGO Masters is a reality competition show first and a talent show second,” he says. “The show prioritizes personalities, which is why producers loved the dynamic between my sister, who’s outgoing, and me, who’s reserved.”
The siblings picked up where they’d left off as kids, with Paul helping Nealita brush up on her brick-building skills. She lives in Milwaukee but came to Cincinnati for the final interview with show producers, because the two had to do a live team build. “Since my sister hadn’t built with LEGO in 15-plus years, she had to practice building before we started filming,” he says. “She purchased a few small sets and learned some techniques that we eventually used on the show in some of our challenges.”
The duo worked hard through all 11 episodes and credit their family dynamic as a crucial part of their success. “Throughout the first few weeks we learned our strengths and weaknesses and how to work together as a team,” says Wellington. “Things didn’t always go as planned, like our disaster of a volcano in Episode 3. But we persevered and made it pretty far in the competition.”
So what’s next for the librarian-turned-LEGO-Master? Having fun. “Outside of the show, LEGO is just a hobby,” says Wellington. “The best part about LEGO, though, is that you can build anything you can dream of. The possibilities are endless.”
Stream Paul and Nealita competing on LEGO Masters Season 4 here.
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